Gryffindor Colors
by TannaCarien870
Summary: How is a drunken game of "I never," truth or dare, and a magic eight ball all connected? And how does Hermione find herself at the center of this? Written for the 200 Things Not to do at Hogwarts Challenge!


_A/N: Hello there! This is a challenge response for the 200 things not to do at Hogwarts challenge. I hope you enjoy it!_

_Here's the rules: Gryffindor courage does not come in bottles labeled "firewhiskey." _

_I will not bring a magic eight ball to Divination class._

_I will not tell Professor Trelawney that I have prophesied her death._

_This is taking place before the twins leave Hogwarts during the trio's fifth year, by the way. Hermione is a bit AU, but I tried to keep her as cannon as the prompt would allow me to be. Besides, everyone needs to break the rules a bit._

Gryffindor Colors

Hermione Granger didn't know what to do. Her brain and every ounce of her logic screamed "No!" at her. But with every second that passed that blasted trademark Gryffindor courage and bravery threatened to come roaring out. Logically, as she would later try and convince herself, it was necessary for her to agree.

And that was how Hermione found herself playing "I never" in the Gryffindor common room while resting on Fred.

Her head rested gently on his shoulder, while Fred absent-mindedly twirled her hair around his fingers, a distant smile plastered on his face. Hermione shifted around a bit when it was her turn. "I never… kissed Harry." She watched with a smile on her face as Ginny proudly downed her shot. It took Hermione's tipsy brain a few seconds to register that Ron had also taken a shot, although he tried to hide it. His face turned a shade of red that matched his hair, and Harry was refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

"Do I even want to know?" George asked, shaking his head.

"I… He – but we didn't! He… I… ugh." Ron sat back down after his failed attempt at explaining himself to the group.

After a few minutes spent in awkward silence, Fred shifted around. "I suppose that it's my turn. I never… Kissed Draco."

Hermione did her best to hide her shot as it entered her mouth, but Fred and Ron noticed. "Draco Malfoy? What the bloody hell were you thinking?" They shouted together, giving each other odd looks as they finished.

Hermione however paid them no attention. She was spending her energy figuring out how to explain that revelation to her friends. "It was third year, right after I punched him and-"

"You punched him?" This time, it was Fred and George doing the twin-talking.

"Well, yes, but that's not the point. I hurt him and as much as I hate him I still felt sort of bad… so I apologized and he just sort of kissed me." She stammered, barely stopping to breathe.

Fred, along with the other guys in the group, stared at her open-mouthed. Bright red flooded her cheeks and Ginny, realizing that the boys were too stunned to continue, ushered Hermione back to the girl's dormitory.

The next evening, after everyone had a chance to sleep off the light hangovers that they'd received, they sat back in the common room. There was a bit of an awkward silence still looming in the air between them after the revealing events of the night before.

Ginny stood up, a look of exasperation clearly etched upon her face. "Oh, come on! What you all found out about each other wasn't that bad! Get over it!" She stood up and grabbed her drink from the table next to the couch. It was only water – even she didn't want a repeat of the night before. She turned and left, her fiery red hair flipping around behind her.

The others slowly began to follow her lead, eventually leaving Hermione all alone in the common room. She sat in silence for a few moments, enjoying the warmth of the fire. She eventually grew bored of sitting down, and bent over the side of the couch to reach the book she had been reading.

"Bloody hell." She muttered under her breath when she saw her bookmark lying on the floor. She quickly bent down to retrieve it, but someone else had beaten her to it.

"Goodness, Hermione. I didn't think you had a mouth." One of the Weasley twins, then. Fred, she decided, as he sat down next to her.

Hermione sighed, then attempted to change the subject. "Why are you still awake?"

"I couldn't sleep. I wasn't hardly tired, and besides, I noticed that you were still down here when I left. I saw the book on the floor and I figured that you'd still be down here."

Hermione smiled, touched that he had thought of her.

"Well, since I'm here, do you want to play a game?"

Hermione's logic again screamed no. This was the exact same thing he had said to her the other night, and look where _that_ had gotten her. But, she could feel herself giving in. Sighing, she asked, "What game?"

Fred smiled. "Just a quick little game of truth or dare."

"I don't know, Fred."

"Oh, come on. I'll go first."

Hermione let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine. Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

Hermione hadn't been expecting that. "Do you really like Angelina?"

Fred smiled. "No, not really. Especially not as much as George does. Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

Fred didn't hesitate to give her his question. "Did you enjoy the kiss Malfoy gave you?"

Hermione blinked, rather shocked at the question. Why did he care what she thought about it? "I, um.. well, I don't really know. It was nice, I guess. But he was my first and I haven't really had any to compare it with, so I guess it isn't a valid statement." She rambled on and on as she had the night before, stopping only when she heard Fred chuckle.

"Relax, Mione. Was he really your first kiss?" Hermione nodded, and he shook his head. "Man, that's horrible."

The two played for a little while longer, and after hearing some true things out of Fred, she decided that she trusted him enough to announce "Dare." As her next turn.

She obviously took Fred by surprise. He took a moment to think. "I dare you to come to Divination with me tomorrow- it's during your free period, so don't tell me you'll be missing something – and tell Professor Trelawney that you've seen the light and have prophesied her death."

"Fred Weasley!" Hermione half shouted. "Are you kidding me? I won't do that –"

"But will you do something similar?"

Hermione thought for a moment. "What if I come with you and give her my magic eight ball?"

"Your _what_?"

"A magic eight ball. You ask it a question and it gives you an answer."

Fred's face broke out into a smile. "Hermione, that's bloody brilliant! Wait until I tell George, He'll love this!" He rushed off to leave, turning around at the foot of the stairs to shout, "Good night Mione!" leaving Hermione wondering how she had gotten herself into this mess.

Hermione had only about twenty minutes until Fred was going to meet her at the common room. Her magic eight ball sat inside her school bag, a nagging reminder of what she was going to do.

"Hermione!" Ron called from the portrait hole. "Hermione, I really need your help with this essay. Do you think you could help me?"

She sighed. "Ron, I really would love to but I've already agreed to help Fred with something."

"What could he possibly need your help with?" Ron asked.

Hermione ignored him as Fred came into view. "Are you ready?" She asked, grabbing her bag from the back of the chair.

He smiled. "Sure thing, Mione." Fred offered her his arm, and she accepted it with a smile, ignoring Ron's displeased face.

The odd couple made their way up to the Divination tower. Fred went immediately to his seat as they entered, but Hermione hung back in the shadows. Where was that blasted Gryffindor courage when she needed it?

Hesitantly, she took a few steps forward. She took her nerves and forced them into the darkness. She pulled the magic eight ball out and walked forward.

"P… Professor Trelawney?" She asked, stepping out into he light.

The professor stood up and faced her. "Miss Granger… I have foreseen your return to my classroom."

Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes. She'd seen the flash of surprise when she entered the room.

"What discovery brought you back to my class?" Trelawney asked.

"This." Hermione handed her the ball, ignoring the snickering coming from the students in the room. She didn't have time to become nervous. "It can predict things. And they always come true."

Professor Trelawney's eyes widened as she took the ball into her hands. "How does it work?"

"Ask it a question."

Professor Trelawney thought for a moment. "Will the Weasley twins pass my class?" She looked to Hermione for instruction.

"Shake it, then flip it over and read the answer.

Trelawney did as Hermione told her, smiling at the answer. "It says no."

Hermione could hear the twins laughing at the back of the classroom.

"I guess it looks as though you truly have seen the light, Miss Granger." She turned to her and smiled. "This thing… It's a wondrous thing. May I… may I keep it?"

Hermione nodded. "It's all yours." As she turned to leave, her eyes flickered up to Fred as she passed. He winked at her an mouthed, "Brilliant, Mione!"


End file.
